


Time to Bring Him Home

by kryptofreak13



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Memory Loss, Post-Canon, Post-Finale
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:20:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23914447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kryptofreak13/pseuds/kryptofreak13
Summary: It was one thing to not recognize the faces of those around him. To not recognize himself was a nightmare.Ezra is found with no memory of his past or identity. His dreams keep trying to tell him something, begging him to come home.Post finale. Eventual Space Family reunion.
Relationships: Ezra Bridger & Hera Syndulla, Ezra Bridger & Kanan Jarrus, Ezra Bridger & Sabine Wren
Comments: 17
Kudos: 63





	1. Found But Lost

They told him he had been found walking aimlessly. He had been delirious, desperately calling out to people who were not there. He had no memory of this, no memory of anything. The man who had found him had taken him back to his farm. When he had finally awoken three days later, the man asked him so many questions.

What was his name? What had happened to him? Was he a part of the rebellion they had heard about?

He had no answers. No knowledge of the rebellion they were talking about.

When he was finally well enough that he began to consider leaving, the man had asked him if he would like to stay with him and his family. As long as he contributed and did his part, he was welcomed to their home and food.

What else was he supposed to do? He had no money, no one to go to. The man and his family had been kind to him. They were not afraid that he might had been a thief or an escaped prisoner. There was no concern for whether he was dangerous. He was someone lost. A boy in need of help to find his way.

* * *

It was one thing to not recognize the faces of those around him. To not recognize himself was a nightmare. There was a mirror in his small room. The first time he had seen his reflection out of the corner of his eye, he had stopped short. He reached out to touch it, almost to ensure himself that it was in fact his reflection staring back at him. There was no recognition in his dark blue eyes. On his left cheek were two faint scars. As his fingers traced them, he could have sworn, for the briefest second, that he could feel them burning. A bright flash of red accompanied it. The sensation faded as quickly as it had come.

Whatever had happened to him was long lost, along with everything else. The face staring back at him was a stranger. That person he once was no longer existed.

After that he made sure to avoid the mirror anytime he was in his room.

* * *

A few weeks after he had been found, he had been having dinner with the farmer and his family. Both the farmer’s wife and young daughter were warm and kind. They had taken it upon themselves to make him feel as if truly welcomed there. As if he had always been there, a part of their family.

“You know,” the farmer began, “I think it’s time you gave yourself a name. We can’t keep calling you ‘Boy’ forever.”

Although he knew this was coming, he couldn’t help but feel the gnawing anxiety that came with it. Along with everything else, his name was lost to him. It was a conspicuous missing piece of him; one that without he could never be whole. But to just give himself a random name felt wrong. Almost as if it would do more harm than good. Still, he knew the man was right. If not for himself, but for others, he needed to decide what to be called.

The young girl looked at him and grinned. “Oh, let me help! I love naming the animals.”

The farmer chuckled. “That’s not really the same. Pretty sure he doesn’t want to be called Pumpkin.”

“No, it’s fine. I’d love the help. What did you have in mind?”

She stared at him as if to examine his every feature. After a few moments she began listing names. As she did, he could feel the dread spreading across him, growing. He had been hoping that something would spark recognition. Something would be familiar.

“Those are great, but I don’t think they’re right,” he finally said after about twenty suggestions

The girl was determined. “How about Luke? Or maybe Caleb? Oh Jax! You look like a Jax.”

He had never been electrocuted (or at least that he could remember), but he imagined it was similar to how he felt when she had said the name Caleb. All sound faded. Immediately the anxiety evaporated and was replaced by a warmth. The name Caleb brought comfort to him. It felt like finally coming home after a long journey.

“Caleb,” he declared, cutting her off as she continued to list names. “That sounds right. I think that’s my name.”

The farmer smiled at him. “Caleb it is then.”

* * *

It was always the same. A ship of some kind. He would look out and see nothing but stars.

He knew that there were others there. He could sense their presence, feel their warmth. But their faces were lost to him. Their words were whispers he couldn’t understand.

Despite this, he was not afraid. Whatever this place was, whoever these people were, he was in no danger. Everything felt right. Everything felt like he belonged there.

It was a nice dream, one he had often. Yet whenever it occurred, in those fleeting moments between sleep and complete wakefulness, there was a sense of belonging. He felt at peace. However, when awareness it was a dream came, the feeling faded, leaving him with only an aching loneliness. Sometimes the belonging was so strong, he wanted nothing more to fall asleep again and be back there.

Then a few months ago, the dream had begun to change. It had started the same with him sitting, staring at the stars. There was someone in the chair next to him. He thought the whispers sounded soft and feminine, but he wasn’t certain.

It was then that he stood up and walked through the doors. Never before had he left the cockpit and ventured out. Something was pulling him, something he needed to see.

On instinct he had walked until he reached the ship doors. They had opened for him revealing that the ship was no longer in space. The place was flat and grassy. He sat down on the ramp, looking out only to see land and sky.

It was the feeling of being watched that compelled him to look behind.

There for the first time, was a man. No longer a shadow, but a real person. He was tall and lean. As Caleb looked up at him the man stretched out his arm, almost as if reaching for Caleb. There was a scar across his face, a dark angry red that spread from one eye to the other. But his eyes themselves did not appear to be harmed. Clear and bright, they stared at Caleb.

The shock from seeing another person after all this time made him realize he was missing something. The man’s lips were moving with an urgent fervor. Though Caleb could hear no sound he knew the man was yelling, his lips mouthing the same word over and over.

Caleb stood and took a step toward him. But before he could reach him, he had jolted awake, the dream shattering all around him.


	2. Paths Coming Together

It had taken a long time for the news of the Empire’s fall to reach them. The farm was not near any major city. Even the closest small town where they went to market was half a day’s journey away.

To be honest, Caleb had no opinion on the fall of the Empire. In the year he had lived with the farmer and his family, the Empire’s rule had little effect on him. The only knowledge he even had of it was the few times others had mentioned it.

“We were always very fortunate,” the farmer had told Caleb one day. “The larger cities here were once terrorized by the Empire, but their power never quite reached us. Occasionally we’d see their troops when we went to market, but they mostly left us alone. Not much for them here, I guess. There were rumors they almost destroyed the Capitol. And then one day they vanished all together. Haven’t heard of them since.”

“Any idea why they left?” Caleb had asked.

“Maybe the Rebellion? Although we were never quite sure that was real to begin with. I think people were just telling stories to give themselves hope. If you ask me, the Empire left because they realized there was nothing of use to them on this planet.”

Whenever Caleb had gone into town to get supplies, he would always catch snippets of people’s conversations on the rebels. The whole concept of a small group of idealistic dreamers overthrowing the galaxy’s government seemed highly implausible. He supposed it was possible that such groups existed. But for them to be successful? No, it was like the farmers said. They were just stories people told. People were always looking for something to believe in.

Now when Caleb ventured to the market, the townsfolk whispered about new concerns. What did the fall of the Empire really mean for them and who was now in charge? Though Caleb heard this, he himself didn’t dwell it. If the dreaded Empire hadn’t interfered with his life before, then whatever new government that replaced it couldn’t do him any harm.

Caleb was happy. His life was a good one. He had a warm bed, food in his stomach, and even people who cared about him.

It didn’t matter that he had yet to remember anything about his old life. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more grateful he was. Perhaps this had saved him. His old life could have been full of pain and tragedy. He might even had been a terrible person. Yes, Caleb had no intention of seeking out his past.

If only his dreams would stop trying to tell him.

* * *

Caleb woke, gasping for air. It took several seconds for his brain to catch up to the fact that he was lying in bed and not plummeting to his death. His heart however was still not convinced. Sitting up, he closed his eyes and breathed in and out slowly.

He had been falling and someone… No, it wasn’t just anyone. It had been the man he kept seeing. He had reached out to Caleb, yelling words that were lost amongst the wind. Caleb’s fingers had clasped his and the man began to lift him away toward safety. But a few seconds later his grip failed. The man yelled something he could not hear…

Caleb threw his blankets off and began to get dressed. It was just another nightmare. He couldn’t allow it to bother him. The lack of light coming through his window told him it was much too early to start his chores, but he knew he wouldn’t have been able to fall back asleep. Better to start working and let the dream slip from his mind.

As he made his way outside, his footsteps faltered outside the door to the master bedroom. A faint humming thrummed in his head. No, it was more than a simple noise. His whole body could feel it, almost like it was pulling him. The longer he stood the more it began to ache.

The sensation had begun a few weeks ago and only seemed to be growing stronger. It was only ever when he was close to this specific room, a room he could not enter. Caleb wished he could ask the farmer but was at a lost for how to even begin.

What is that strange noise coming from your bedroom? Am I the only one who can hear it? I think something in there wants me to find it.

No. They would think him crazy. Maybe he _was _crazy.__

* * *

__Caleb stroked the nose of the furry creature. It nuzzled his face and made a loud chirping noise. “Okay, fine. This is the last one though.” He laughed and reached into his pocket, offering another treat._ _

__The farmer had put him in charge of caring for the livestock. The animals always listened to Caleb. They never wandered when he took them out to graze or got agitated when he needed to milk them. Even when the lighting storms came, Caleb was the only one who could calm them. The farmer had told him he had a gift. Caleb just thought it was easy to understand the creatures. He was confused about why it was so hard for the others to do the same._ _

__Light was beginning to creep over the horizon. Caleb scanned the space before him, checking on all the livestock. It was about time to head back to the farm. His stomach had begun to growl. The thought of warm bread and-_ _

__His breathe hitched. Across the field was an enormous furry beast. Caleb tensed, expecting it to attack him or the animals. However, it didn’t move. Instead it just sat there, almost as if it was observing._ _

__The last time Caleb had gone to town there has been a man selling art. One of the paintings was of a creature that looked exactly like the one he saw now. Caleb had picked the painting up, curious. He had never seen such a beast before, and yet it had felt so familiar. What had the man called it? A wolf?_ _

__Watching the animal, Caleb could have sworn- No, he was being ridiculous. It couldn’t possibly be-_ _

__“Caleb?”_ _

__He broke his gaze away from the animal, turning to the source of the voice._ _

__“Do you see that?” he asked, pointing. “I think there’s a wolf over there!”_ _

__“Don’t be stupid,” the farmer’s daughter replied with a laugh. “There haven’t been wolves here for like a hundred years. You’ve been listening to too many of Papa’s stories. Come on, breakfast is ready.”_ _

__Caleb whipped around searching for the beast, but there was nothing staring back at him._ _

* * *

__Something was wrong. The entire ship was shaking. The voices, their words still unintelligible, were loud and frantic. Flashes of bright green and red light shone outside the window, disrupting the stars._ _

__The shadows moved around him, radiating an excitement and eagerness he did not comprehend. Feelings that he knew were not his own hung thick in the air, threatening to overwhelm him. His own confusion was faint, yet still there._ _

Why were they not afraid? He certainly was  
.  
Caleb turned as the door behind him slid open. It was the man again, the same as always. His voice was calling out in desperation. Only this time, Caleb could hear the word he was yelling.

__“EZRA!”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you so much to everyone who has read and commented!
> 
> I'm sorry if this isn't the most exciting chapter. I mostly wanted to heavily hint at some things.  
> Also I know the farmer and his family don't have names. It's mostly because I hate coming up with names, but they themselves aren't really important, but rather just there to give Ezra someone to talk to for now. 
> 
> The next chapter might take a few weeks because I need to actually focus on my finals. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy! Thanks again for reading!


	3. Shattered

The humming in Caleb’s ears was growing stronger every day. No longer was it limited to the proximity of the one door. Every room, every second, he could hear it. A persistent thrum that refused to leave him. Faint, yet somehow still horribly loud, it kept him awake at night. The only relief he had was when he left the house. 

_Ezra, listen._

Caleb gritted his teeth, trying his best to ignore the hum and the voice. The man’s voice from his dreams, determined to haunt him. More annoying than anything else for he rarely said anything different. The same name over and over again. 

_Ezra._

He was losing it; he was sure of it. 

Sunlight had begun trickling through his windows. He knew he needed to get dressed and eat something, but all he wanted to do was bury his head in his pillow and try to sleep.

_Ezra._

“No,” he groaned, curling tight underneath the blankets.

He refused to accept the name as his own. Why now was he starting to remember? Whoever this Ezra person was, it wasn’t him anymore. He was Caleb. Had been for almost two years. He couldn’t just let that all go.

If his old life had meant anything, wouldn’t someone have come looking for him? No one had, so he must have been no one important. Just another orphan forgotten by a world that didn’t care.

But what about the man he kept dreaming about? He must have meant something to him at one point in his life. Shouldn’t he have care enough about Caleb to try to find him? Or maybe the man had abandoned him as well. 

All the more reason it was better to be Caleb. Someone who had people who cared about him. Someone who had never experienced loss or grief.

Yet, with every dream, every time the voice whispered the other name, Caleb could feel his past self trying to bleed through the cracks. As if Ezra was struggling to reclaim what was rightfully his. 

_Ezra._

“My name is Caleb,” he hissed to the empty room.

**CRACK!**

Caleb sprang out of bed, wildly searching for the source of the noise. His eyes fell upon the mirror. Except it wasn’t the cracks splintered across the surface that had brought it to his attention.

He stared at his reflection. With his legs apart and knees bent, he looked as if he were anticipating a fight, ready to attack. His hand was at his side, almost as if he were reaching for something. 

Laughing at himself he straightened up. Good to know he had instincts should intruders ever come. 

He walked over to the mirror and traced his finger along one of the cracks. The whole glass hadn’t shattered completely, but rather there were spiderweb like splinters at the top. Standing this close, the breakage distorted his reflection, fragmenting only his face.

Caleb looked away quickly, the image a little too ironic for his liking.

What could have possibly broken it? No one else was home. The family had gone to visit the capitol for a few days and wouldn’t be back until later that night. Besides, it couldn’t have been a person. He would have realized someone was in the room right next to him.

_Ezra._

Yeah, he was definitely losing it.

* * *

Unable to shake the anxiety that he had somehow missed an intruder, Caleb had made sure to check the farm. All of the livestock were accounted for and nothing seemed to be missing.

He had laid down in the grass, soaking up sunlight. The humming quieted outside, finally allowing him to relax a little. Or at least attempt to. Despite his efforts, his mind kept dwelling on the broken mirror.

_Ezra, listen._

Unfortunately, the voice followed Caleb no matter where he went. He groaned and sat up, hugging his knees. His long hair had gotten loose from its tie and now hung in his face. The farmer’s wife had been offering to cut it for him for months, but he wouldn’t let her. There was something about having long hair that felt right. 

Retying it, he ruminated on the fact that the man in his dreams also had the same exact hair style. Was he the reason Caleb was so reluctant to cut his own? 

No, he shouldn’t go down that path. He knew he needed to block this man’s voice out, but between that and his dreams, it was just becoming so difficult to keep pieces of his past from resurfacing.

_Ezra, what are you afraid of?_

“The truth,” Caleb whispered, before he could stop himself.

Acknowledging it out loud broke the wall inside he had been struggling to maintain. His vision went foggy as tears trickled down his cheeks. No matter how often he tried to convince himself he was happy not knowing, that he was better off remaining ignorant, he always knew it was his fear more than anything else that was prevented him from remembering completely . 

What if he finally remembered what happened to the man he had been dreaming about? He must have been important to Caleb. Yet, in the two years since Caleb had been found, he hadn’t shown up. 

What if it had been Caleb’s fault that the man had abandoned him? Or worse, what if it was his fault the man was dead? Grief can do incredible, terrifying things to people.

What if forgetting had been his way of protecting himself?

* * *

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, Caleb made his way back home. The two speeders that the family owned were still absent from their usual spot. 

The humming started before he could even cross the threshold. No doubt, soon he’d hear it even outside. Whatever was trying to call out to him, it was angry he wouldn’t listen.

_Ezra._

Caleb approached the master bedroom, but hesitated. The family was due back soon. It would be difficult to explain should he be caught in the room.

But the humming inside his mind was impossible to ignore. It was tired of waiting. 

Deciding risking getting caught was better than losing his sanity, he entered the room.

Though he had never been inside, it was what he had expected. The farmer and his wife were simple people, no need for extravagance. The only decoration in the room were a few vases of flowers. 

Caleb wasn’t sure what he was supposed to be looking for. There wasn’t much in the room, let alone space to hide anything. He sat on the bed, strumming his fingers against the frame. What was he supposed to do now?

_Listen._

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused on the humming. 

It was emitting from a presence of some kind. Something was under the bed. Something was hidden. He could almost picture it in his head, but the details were fuzzy. Caleb got down on to his stomach. Although there were many boxes, his senses told him to pick the one furthest back. He reached out, his fingers grazing the top.

The humming immediately stopped.

Caleb placed the box on the bed and slowly lifted the lid. Inside lay a thin metal cylinder, about the length of his forearm.

A pipe or mechanical part? No, there would be no need to hide such an item.

He picked up the object. It felt heavy in his hands. A weapon perhaps? In case of intruders?

It was plausible, but it didn’t explain why he had been drawn to it.

There was a button on the side. Hoping it wasn’t the last thing he did, Caleb pressed it, nearly dropping the thing as a bright light emitted from it. 

A laser sword? He studied it, still in disbelief. None of this made any sense. Why would the farmer have this?

Unless…? No, it couldn’t be. But why else would it have been calling out to him all this time? 

If this sword were his, then everything he had assumed about his past was wrong. This was not the weapon of a nobody. This belonged to someone powerful. Someone important.

Of course, it also meant they had kept it from him all this time. With that thought, a foreign feeling had begun to creep up in his stomach.

He flicked his wrist, the sword making a faint hum as he did.

_Careful, you’ll cut your arm off._

Caleb ignored the voice. There was something familiar about the color of the laser. It was pretty, a bright teal that reminded him of-

“What are you doing in here?” 

Caleb looked away from the blade, his eyes meeting those of the farmer’s wife. 

They had kept this from him all this time.

There was a loud crack as something glass in the room shattered, but Caleb barely heard it. 

“What is this?” he demanded, ignoring her question. The sensation in his stomach was building. Horribly cold and ugly, it had quickly started to spread.

The woman’s eyes grew wide. “It’s a li-lightsaber. The weapon of the Jedi. You ha-had it on you when we found you.”

“Why did you hide it from me?” Against Caleb’s better judgment the words came out with bite to them. The cold sensation was now burning. Poisonous and vile it surged through his entire existence. 

Another sharp crash, and Caleb saw that a mirror near him had broken.

The woman stepped back, furthering distancing herself from him and the lightsaber. “I was afraid.” Her voice quivered. “Growing up I ha-had heard stories of the Jedi. Powerful beings who couldn’t be killed or even hurt. There was no way you could be one, you mu- must have stolen it. I was terrified whoever it belonged to would come looking for it.”

Caleb stared at the saber. Although he had no memory of ever wielding such a weapon, he _knew_ that it belonged to him. Not just stolen from someone else either, it was his. A vital piece to his existence. All this time it had been calling out to him and he had stupidly been ignoring it. If only he had known sooner. Known that he had been more than a worthless street urchin. 

How could they have done this? How could they have kept this secret from him? They all needed to be taught a less-

_Ezra, stop! Look!_

The voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Caleb froze, realizing his feet had been advancing forward. He lifted his eyes back to the farmer’s wife. She had stepped further back, pressing herself against the wall. Her wide eyes, full of tears, were focused on the glowing blade.

This woman had taken him in. Given him food and shelter. Treated him like her own son. And here she was now, terrified of him. 

Caleb’s anger left him as quickly as a candle being snuffed. The cold still remained, terrible and overwhelming. His stomach lurched. 

Hands shaking, he extinguished the lightsaber. 

“I’m-I’m sorry.”

Without saying another word, he ran past her and out of the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting! Sorry I took this long, I kept getting distracted by later chapters.
> 
> I'm really glad that Jedi Fallen Order made teal lightsabers canon, because for the most part I'm trying to keep this as canon plausible. It's also my favorite color so it would definitely be the lightsaber I would want. 
> 
> Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!


	4. In Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow so it's been a while. I've had half of this and half of the next chapter written for a while, but got distracted by a new idea. I do have plans to finish this, it just might take a little longer than I originally planned to.

Caleb collapsed to his knees, gagging as the contents of his stomach threatened to resurface. When he finally felt as if there was nothing left to expel, he wrapped his arms around himself. Anything to feel normal again. The cold inside him was relentless. It raged inside him, an endless tempest of turmoil and strife. Never before had he felt like this. His whole body shook as if it was attempting to reject a piece of itself.

How long he sat there, he couldn’t tell. By the time the shaking had settled, the sun had begun to dip below the horizon. He vaguely knew he needed to do something, but his brain seemed incapable of forming a plan.

The lightsaber lay next to him where he had dropped it. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to burying it somewhere in the dirt and go back to the farm. Shut out the voice and pretend none of this ever happened. But he couldn’t. He doubted that the family would even allow him back.

The events kept replaying in his mind over and over. He knew he had been responsible for the shattered mirrors and broken vases but didn’t know exactly how. He had felt the energy snap inside him, exploding out from him with his anger. It had been exhilarating, but also terrifying. 

When he had held the lightsaber, he had felt powerful. Like nothing would ever be able to stop him. But now?

Now he just felt empty. 

_"_ What, now you have nothing to say?” Caleb yelled to the empty landscape. The voice had remained silent all this time. 

When no response came, he buried his head in his arms and began to sob. All of his frustration, all his fear poured out of him. He cried until the flow of tears ceased, leaving him only sniffling. His cheeks stung with the breeze.

A loud huff resonated in his ears. Breath, hot and moist, caressed the back of his neck.

He lifted his head, looking over his shoulder. Towering above him, stood a white wolf. Caleb yelped and stumbled back, trying to distance himself from the creature. It watched him with cool blue eyes. There was a depth to them that made Caleb think of vast space, brimming with stars. Eyes that had seen the very ends of the universe.

“ _Ezra_.” The wolf spoke slowly, it’s voice low and grave.

Caleb’s eyes widened. This wasn’t possible. He was going mad.

“ _Ezra_ ,” it repeated. 

“Who—who are you?” he asked. 

“ _I am Dume_.” There was something strangely familiar about the wolf’s voice, but Caleb couldn’t place it. 

“What do you want from me?”

“ _You ran_ ,” it growled.

Caleb flinched. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“ _Fear_.”

“Of course, I am afraid!” he shouted, forcing himself to stand. The wolf’s eyes flashed with a fury storms would envy. Caleb took a step back, averting his gaze. “I don’t understand what’s happening. I don’t know who I am anymore,” he said, his voice as small as he felt.

“ _Remember_.”

“How?”

“ _Find Jedi temple_.”

Caleb frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“ _Listen_.”

Indignation burned through him. “That doesn’t help!" Realizing his blunder, he stiffened.

The wolf snarled.

“No,” Caleb pleaded. He stepped back, shielding his face with his arms.

It did nothing to stop the wolf from lunging at him.

* * *

“NO!” Caleb jolted awake. He looked around frantic, but there was no wolf to be found. He was alone once more. All was quiet but for the pounding heartbeat echoing through his ears.

The sun had completely set now, the only light provided by the moons. Caleb closed his eyes and focused on steadying his breathing. What had just happened? Had it been real? It was unlike any dream he’d ever had.

“You know, now would be a good time to speak up,” he said.

No reply. 

Great. He had spent all that time wishing the voice would shut up. Now that he needed it, it decided to keep silent.

“Stupid voice,” he mumbled, getting to his feet. “Stupid wolf.” He picked up the lightsaber and considered his next move. There was no way the family would want him back, but he couldn’t just stay out here all night. At the very least he should go back to collect his meager belongings. Maybe steal one of their speeders and some money and head toward the market. 

Guilt, sharp as glass, twisted in his gut. No, that was the wrong path to take. The family had given him so much. He couldn’t betray their kindness. But what other choice did he have?

_Find Jedi Temple._

The wolf’s words rang clear in his ears and he stared down at the lightsaber in his hand. The farmer’s wife had spoken of the Jedi with such awe and terror. Could he be one of them? The wolf had told him to the temple would give him the answers he needed. But how would he even begin to find it? It could be on the other side of the planet for all he knew.

_Listen._

Caleb closed his eyes, only to hear the grass rustling in the wind. This was stupid, what could he possibly—?

There was a faint murmur. As if someone was calling for him from a distant room. He took a step forward and the sound grew louder. Only now it was more than just a sound. Something inside of him ached. A piece of him was missing, the empty hole it had left desired to be reunited with it. Another step forward. The sound was stronger, the ache more prominent.

Caleb opened his eyes and began to follow the noise.

* * *

It had been almost five days straight of walking. On the second day Caleb had come across a small group of travelers on speeders. They took pity on him, providing him with water and a small amount of food. He’d waved off their offers to join them and carried on his way. The force inside of him grew with each step, letting him know he was going in the right direction.

Caleb pulled the last ration bar out of his pocket and began to chew. The canteen held only drops now and his throat burned. His brain felt like it was full of fog and his legs trembled with each stride. The only thing keeping him moving was the belief that this would all be over soon. He _needed_ it to be over soon.

Caleb went to take another unsteady step forward. The force inside of him crescendoed into an overwhelming burst.

And then puffed out. 

No.

This couldn’t be the right place. He looked around, searching for something. 

Anything. 

There was nothing.

“What am I supposed to do now?” Caleb croaked as tears began trickling down his cheeks. He had come all this way. It had just been a dream. He had been so stupid to believe it was anything but.

His vision blurred, but it wasn’t from the tears. Everything was tilting. No, _he_ was the one tilting.

_I’ve got you._

The ground was a lot softer than Caleb would have expected. Before he could think on it further, everything went dark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! And a huge thanks to everyone who's commented. It means a lot that people are actually reading my stuff.


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